Attacked while running, Hope woman drowns rabid raccoon in puddle

HOPE (AP) — A Maine woman says a rabid raccoon attacked her while she was out for a run, so she drowned it in a puddle.

Rachel Borch, of Hope, says she was running in woods near her home June 2 when she saw the raccoon charging with its teeth bared. She says she knew the animal was going to bite her, so she held out her hands so it would bite her there.

The 21-year-old says she then noticed a puddle in a nearby swampy area. She ran over with the rabid animal still biting down on her thumb and held its head underwater until it drowned.

Hope Animal Control Officer Heidi Blood praised Borch’s composure, and says she is in the hospital for rabies exposure treatment.